Peters



(N0 Model.) 7 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. H..J. WOODEN 8v W. A. TRESCOTT.

. Fruit Evaporator. v No. 243,028. Patented June 14, 1881 n. vrrzna Phoio-Lilhngrzphar. waihin m. ma

(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2.

H. J. WOODEN & W. A, TRESCOTT= Fruit Evaporator.

No 243,028 Patented June 14,1881.

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' of a portion of the bottom of the tower.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRISON J. WOODEN AND WILLIS A. TRESGOTT, OF FAIBPORT, NEW YORK.

FRUlT-EVAPO RATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 243,028, dated June 14, 1881.

Application filed September 13, 1680. (No model.)

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that we, HARRISON J. WOODEN and WILLIS A. TRESOOTT, both of Fairport, Monroe county, New York, have invented a certain newand useful Improvement in Fruit and Vegetable Evaporators; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and. exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figurel is avertical section of the apparatus in line 00 a of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a plan. Fig. 3 is a cross'section. Fig. 4 is an elevation Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the slides and the end of the connecting-rod. Fig.6 is a modification, showing a device for taking up the slack in the elevating-rods.

Our improvement relates to fruit evaporators or driers in which a high tower is em-.

ploycd resting over a furnace, and in which trays supporting the fruit are elevated through the tower and delivered at the top.

The invention consists in an improved arran gement for elevating the trays, as hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings, A represents the tower, which is of ordinary form, beinghollow forthe passage of the trays and rising to considerable height. It has a door, a, Fig. 4, at the bottom for the insertion of the trays, anda similar door at the top for their removal.

Our improvement is as follows: B B are a series of slides,'which form the tray-elevating devices. They are simply blocks or sticks of wood having on their inner side a series of projecting pins, 1) I), upon which rest the edges of the trays G 0. One of these pins 1) of each slide may be an angle-iron, through which passes the shank of a hook, c, which rests on the back side of the slide, and by which the slide is elevated, as hereinafter described.

Two series of these slides are used, located on two opposite sides of the tower, as shown in Fig. 2. The slides are inserted at the bottom of the tower through an opening, (I, Fig. 4, which is of sufficient size to admit them one at a time. Above this opening is a longitudinal slot, f, which extends to the top of the tower, and at the top of the tower is an opening similar to d, through which the slides can be removed. The edges of the slides are provided grooves, h It, so that when the slides are once entered into the groove f they cannot escape therefrom till they reach the delivery-opening at the top.

D, Fig. 1, is a windlass or shaft extending across the top of the tower. It has at one end a bevel-gear, k, with which engages a bevelpinion, l. The pinion is attached to a countershaft, m, on the outer end of which is a handwheel, a, by which the Windlass is turned. The shaft m has also a ratchet-wheel, 0, into which strikes a detent, p, by which the windlass may be held at any position.

r r r r are four cords or cables, which wind upon the Windlass, two above and two below,

their outer ends pussingover pulleys ss 88, so that they hang outside the tower and in line with the slotsff.

E E E E are four iron rods suspended to the cords and extending down to the bottom of the tower, where they have loops or hooks tt, which can be engaged with and disengaged from the hooks c c on the back .of the slides at pleasure.

If desired, take up devices such as shown in Fig. 6 may be used in the rods to increase or lessen the length of the rods to compensate for the expansion or contraction of the cords.

If desired, the cords might extend down to connect with the slides at the bottom of the tower; but they would not be so effective as the rods.

The operation is as follows: Four of the slides are inserted in the four openings d d d d at the bottom of the tower, forming one set, and these slides are loaded with the trays by inserting the latter through the door a. The rods E E are then hooked onto the hooks c 0 of the slides, and the latter are elevated by turning the Windlass till the slides rise into the slots ff abot e-the openings 01 d. Another set of slides is then inserted and loaded, the rods are disengaged from the slides above and hooked onto the slides below, and the latter are elevated in the same manner, also elevating the first set of slides with them. This operation is repeated till the first set of slides reaches the top of the tower, when the trays are drawn out and the slides are removed and returned to the bottom of the tower to be used again.

One advantage of this arrangement is that it is much simpler, cheaper, and less "d'i'fficill't to operate than the ordinary endless belts and ratchet-bars now in use, and it is also much surer in operation, as there is no possibility of the slipping or non-engagement with the trays, which frequently occurs in ordinary devices for the purpose. Another advantage is that a number of the trays may be inserted at once and before an elevating movement is given, whereas in ordinary fruit-driers but one tray can be inserted at a time, and a movement" desire to secure,

1. In a fruit or vegetable evaporator, the tower A, constructed with an opening, d, to admit the slide 13, and a connecting slot or way, f, above said opening, for the slide to run 'in","as"lrerein shown and described.

2. In a fruit or vegetable evaporator, the combination, with the tower A, provided with suitable ways for the slides to move in, of a series of slides, B B B, provided with pins or supports to hold the trays, said slides being arranged to be inserted one after another, and to be elevated through the sides of the tower, as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination of the series of separate slides B B, the Windlass D, and the elevatingrods or equivalent connections E E, arranged to operate in the manner and for the purpose specified.

In witness whereof we have hereunto signed our names in the presence of the subscribing witnesses.

HARRISON J. WOODEN. WILLIS A. TRESOOTT. Witnesses:

O. M. BRIGGS, H. STILEs, GEo. K. VINCENT. 

